Elastic-fluid turbine.



F. HODGKINSON.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE. APPLICATION rum) MAY 26, 1908.

- WITNESSES;-

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v 1 I B 9 I ATTORNEY N FACT.

UN TED s ATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS HODGKINSON, OF EDGEWOQD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE IWESTINGHOUSE MACHINE COMPANY,-A CORPORATION OFlPENNSYLVANIA.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

Application filed M a; 1908. Serial No. 4s5,o79..

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, FnANcIs'HoDoK1NsoN,-'

a subject of the King of Great'Britain and Ireland, and a resident ofEdgewood Park,

in the county of Alle heny and State of Pennsylvania, have ma e a'newandus'eful Invention in Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of

, which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to blading-for elastic fluid turbines andparticularly to means for mounting the blades on the blade-oarryingelementsof the turbines.

An object of my invention is the" prod 11c mtion of bladin'gmeansjforturbines which is simple and effective-and which-rendersthe :operation,of renewing'blades a simple matter. w

1 A further object is the production of simple and eflective means forassemblingthe blades in segmental strips and for mountln the strips inblade mounting slot-s provide :in the turbine blade-carrying element.

Various methods have been employed for securing the blades to' theblade-carrying elements. of the turbine. In onemethod,

.which is generally employed, the bla des are secured in slots, providedin theblade-carrying element. A method which has also been used tosomeextent employs. a base strip which is provided with slots for-receivingthe blades. Various means have been em.- ployed for, securing the bladesto the base strip and for finallysecuring the strip to theblade-carrying element ofthe turbine. The strip is usually securedby-means of a calk-v fing strip into a slot or groove rovidedin theblade carrying element".

he calking strip isinserted into the slot with the base strip and isexpanded transversely by a calk-v; ing pressure so as to grip one wallof the slot and to force the base strip into gripping contact with theother wall of'the' slot.

My invention contemplates utllizing separate spacing pieces between theblades, as-

sembling' the blades and spacing pieces to form a segmental strip andsecuring the strip into a slot or groove provided for its reception inthe blade-carrying element.

In the drawings accompanying this ap- "cut mounting slots 7, in whichblades Sand :with a hole 11 which extends transversely plication and.forming a part thereof: Figure 1 is a transverse section of a fragmentof -the rotor element ofa turbine and discloses,.

in elevation, blades "and spacing pieces lo cated in a blade-mountingslot; Fig. 2 isa transverse section of a fragment of thestator. or thestationary blade-carrying element of the turbine anddiscloses in sectionan. embodiment of my invention; Fig.1) is a longitudinal sectionof'aportion of the rotor taken-at right: angles to the section in Fig.1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of blades secured to a'blade-carrying elementand embodies my invention; Fig; 5 illustratesin perspective a detail of,my invention; and, Fig. 6 illus-' 'trates, in fragmental section, adetail, embodied'in my invention.

The blade-carrying'element 6 of the turbine is provided with a pluralityof underint-ermediate spacingpieces 9 are mounted. Each blade isprovided near its base with a hole 10, which extends transverselytherethrough and each spacing piece is provided through the piece.

The blades and spacing pieces are assembled in segmental strips or-sections by mounting a number of them on a binder wire '12 which isthreadedthrough the holes 10 and 11 respectively of the blades andpieces. The blades and pieces-are assembled Wire are riveted overto-secure them together and to form a fairly rigid segmental strip.

The buter or free end of each blade 1s provided with a comma-shaped hole13 through'v'vhich .a binding Wire 14 of comma crosssection extends-nThe binding wire is secured in place and is-caused to-space tl1c outerends of the blades by having its tailshaped fin 15 sheared and bent overbetween adjacent blades.

After the blades and spacing pieces are assembledin segmental strips thestrips are secured in the mounting slots 7 by means of cooperatingwedges which-are driven home,

one beside the other, between the segmental strip and one wall of theslot.

The slots 7 are preferably undercut. and

one lateral face of each-spacing piece 9 is undercut wall of the slot.The other lateral;

on-the wire in any suitable""manner and"- after they are in place ontheends of the 'inclined as shown at 16, Fig. 5, to come y .fspond to theinclination of the adjacent= Ill) face ofeach spacing piece is formedatright" angles to the bottom and top faces of the piece.' I

i The segmental strips are secured into the.

undercut slots by'means of double or comound ta )ered wed es .17. Thewed esare.

inserted into the slot between the vertical faces of the spacingpieces'and the adjacent undercut wall of'the slot andare arranged inpairs and are so constructed that, when driven home, the two. wedges-ofeach pairconjointly form a wedge-shal'ied key which efi'ectivelysecuresthe blade strip in place and which is prevented by its shape and by theentirespecification I. have utilized the.

the shape of its component wedg'esfrom beingdislodged from the slot; bycentrifugal term blade in the broadsense; that is, a

sense which includes'the rotating blades of the niovi ug element ofthe'turbine and alsothe stationary blades which are ordinarily termedvanes.

The segn'ieutal strips are of such length that a redeterm'ined number ofthem coindetely fill one of the blade-mounting slots 7 and they are soarranged at their ends that they do not destroy the spacing of theblades. Each segmental strip s secured into,the'slot by anumbero'f pairsof wedges 17.- The wedges are preferably so spaced within the-slotsthatjthe ends of the wedges of one pair abut against the ends of theadjacent pairs. I

Since it is necessary to leave considerable space between the first andlast pairs of wedges introduced into a lade-mounting slot, I haveprovided special means for securing the component wedges of these pairsin place and I have illustrated the same in .Fig. 6. A simple. wedge 20and a rectangular key 21 are cut to, such lengths as to fit into the,blade-mounting slot between the wedges of the first and last pairs. Thewedge 20 is introduced into the blade-mounting slot and is so locatedwithin the slot that its inclined face contacts with an undercut wall.of the slot. The wedge is also of such width that it projects beyond theslot a predetermined amount. The key 21 is introduced into the slotbetween the Wedge 20 and the segmental blade strip. The key and thewedge are then secured 1n place by 'peening or calking over theprojecting edge of the wedge, so that the key 21 is H 'locked in placeby being enveloped by the wedge 20 and the segmental blade-strip. Suchan arrangement absolutely prevents the wedges becoming loose in theslots.

- In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the prinbut I- desire to have it understood that the.apparatus shown is only illustrative that: the invention can be carriedout' b 'y other means.

What I claim is:

1. In combinationin an elastic fluid tur- 'bine,,a blade-holdingelement'provided with an undercut mounting slot,'alternately arixin'gedblades and spacing pieces located "111 said slot and compound taperedwedges located in said slot for securing saidblades mg pieces andcompound tapered wedges for;

securing said blades in placein said slot.

In combination in an elastlc fluid turbine, a. blade-holding elementprovided with an undercut slot, alternatelyarrange'd blades and spacingpieces located in said slot, means for securing said blades and saidpieces together and wedges arranged in pairs for securing said blades insaidslots.

'4. A blade-mounting strip comprising blades provided atone end with ahole extending transversely therethrough, spacing pieces provided withan inclined and a vertical lateral face, and means extending throughthe'holes provided in said blades and said pieces for securing saidblades and said pieces together. g I

5. In combination with a blade-mounting element provided withblade-mounting slots,

blades located in said slots and spacing pieces provided with onevertical and one inclined lateral face located between said blades.

6. In combination with a blade-mounting element provided with ablade-mounting slot; a blade strip, wedges located in saidslot,

for securing said strip ijn'place within the slot and means locatedbetween the ends of adjacent wedges for secur ng them in place. 7. Incomblna'ti'on with a blade-carrying element provided with ablade-mounting slot, a blade-mounting strip located within said slot,wedgesloc'ated within said slotfor securing said strip in placeand meanscalked 'within said slot for securing said wedges in place.

8. In combination with-a blade-carrying element provided with ablade-carrying slot, a blade-mounting strip locatedwithin said slot,component wedges located within said slot for securing said strips inplace, and a two-part key calked into said slot for securing said wedgesin place.

9. In an elastic fluid turbine, a blade holding element provided withaslot, alternately arranged blades and spacing pieces located in saidslott'and wedges-located within said slot between the sides of thespacing pieces and the sides'of the slot for securing said blades andsaid spacing pieces in place.

10. In an elastic fluid turbine, a blade blades and spacing pieceslocated within said slot, means for securing said blades and, saidspacing pieces together and wedges for securing said blades and saidspacing pieces in said slot, said wedges being between the sides of thespacing pieces and the sides'of the slot.-

vIntestimcny whereof, I have hereunto 15 subscribed my name this 16thday of May, 1908.

FRANCIS HODGKINSON.

